Falcons' Firepower Overwhelms Cougars

MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin women's basketball team delivered a dominant performance, defeating Concordia University Chicago 70-42 to improve to 2-5 overall and 2-1 in Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) play.

With the win, head coach Stacey Brunner-Jones earned her 350th win as the head coach of the Falcons as her record now sits at an impressive 350-181. 

The Falcons came out strong in the first quarter, shooting 50% from the field (8-of-16), including a sizzling 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.

The Cougars briefly held a 10-9 lead, but CUW quickly regained control. Senior Liliana Guerra (Yorkville, Ill.) nailed a three-pointer in transition to put the Falcons ahead, a lead they would never relinquish. Moments later, junior Ava Booth (Plymouth, Wis.) came off the bench and immediately impacted the game with a crafty left-handed layup to extend the lead to 14-10.

The Falcons closed the quarter on an 8-0 run, with Guerra adding two free throws and sophomore Gracie McNabb (Grafton, Wis.) hitting an open three. Sophomore Andrea Butterbrodt (Green Bay, Wis.) capped the quarter by sinking three free throws after being fouled on a full-court heave, sending CUW into the second quarter with a 22-10 advantage.

CUW continued to build on their lead in the second quarter, outscoring the Cougars 20-10. Senior Aubrey DeBauch (Gillett, Wis.) was a standout, scoring nine points in the frame.

McNabb ignited the scoring early, hitting another three just 90 seconds into the quarter. DeBauch added an old-fashioned three-point play off a fast break and dished a beautiful assist to sophomore Jayden Ross (Baraboo, Wis.) for a quick layup, pushing the Falcons' lead to 32-15 with 7:17 left in the half.

By halftime, CUW had built a commanding 44-22 lead, thanks to additional three-pointers from McNabb and free throws from DeBauch.

The Falcons' defense reached its peak in the third quarter, holding the Cougars to just one made field goal as CUW outscored CUC 16-4. Booth contributed five points, while senior Lindsey Lonigro (Deerfield, Wis.) and junior Kaitlyn Carothers (Columbus, Ind.) connected on a pair of beautiful give-and-go plays.

With a sizable lead heading into the final 10 minutes, Concordia Wisconsin cruised to a 70-42 victory.

As a team, CUW held Concordia Chicago to just 35.4% shooting (17-of-48) and dominated nearly every statistical category. The Falcons led in free throws made, three-pointers made, rebounds, assists, points off turnovers, points in the paint, fast break points, and bench scoring.

DeBauch led the Falcons with 21 points on efficient shooting (8-of-12 from the field, 5-of-7 from the line), while also grabbing a team-high eight rebounds and dishing out three assists. McNabb added 11 points, and Booth chipped in 10. Defensively, Ross was active throughout the game, recording three steals. Off the bench, Butterbrodt contributed seven points and seven rebounds.

The Falcons will travel to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where they will face Williams in the opening game of the Cruzin' Classic.